Flooring



LII

ilnirnn Stains nrnnr rrrcni \VILLIAM MCPHERSON, OF QUINCY, CALIFORNIA.-

FLOORBNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,38, dated March 23, 1897.

Application filed June 4, 1896. Serial No. 694,818. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM MoPHERsoN, of Quincy, in the county of Plumas and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Flooring, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to tasselated floors, or floors made of ornamental blocks; and the object is to provide such a floor that will be practically wate r-tight an d in which the blocks are so arranged and connected as to prevent warping.

I will describe a flooring embodying my invention, and then point out the novel features in the appended claim.

Reference is also to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a flooring embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail of the fastening devices.

The flooring comprises a number of blocks 1, preferably set on end or with the grain running vertically. I have here shown the blocks as diamond-shaped but I do not limit my invention thereto, as it is obvious that other designs maybe employed, provided that all the edges of a block are engaged by other blocks.

Each block is provided with a groove or channel 2 on each of its edges,and long tonguestrips 3 are engaged in opposite edge grooves of a row of blocks, thesestrips being also engaged in the grooves of adjacent rows of blocks. Extending transversely between pairs of long tongue-strips 3 are short ton guestrips 4, which engage in grooves of the blocks at substantially right angles to the grooves engaged by the long tongue-strips.

The several blocks 1 are to be laid on an ordinary flooring 5, and around the edges of the flooring-blocks are arranged base-strips 6, each being substantially L-shaped in crosssection, thehorizontal portion being provided with a longitudinal groove into which a tongue-strip 7 extends, the said strip also engaging in grooves of the edge-blocks. The vertical portion of the base-strip is to engage with the wall of the room and may serve as a baseboard, but, if desired, a supplemental base-board 8 may be mounted thereon. By making the base-strips in the form shown and described it is obvious that water used for cleaning cannot penetrate between the flooring and wall.

The blocks may be secured to the flooring 5 by blind nailing, and it is obvious that a I very ornamental floor may be made by employing different woods for the blocks.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The improved flooring herein described, comprising the blocks placed in contact in predetermined design and provided with grooves on all of their edges, long tongue-strips 3 engaging the grooves in certain rows of blocks, short strips 4 extending transversely between pairs of the former strips and engaging the grooves of the blocks at angles to the grooves engaged by said former strips, and base-strips L-shaped in cross-section, arranged around the outside edge of the design formed by the blocks and having the horizontal portions formed with grooves for the reception of tongue-strips which are engaged by the grooves in the blocks, the vertical portions of said base-strips engaging with the wall of the room, as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM MOPIIERSOJ. lVitnesses J. D. MOLAUGHLIN, ARTHUR W. KEDDIE. 

